Enter to Win the Lake Placid Perfect Snow Day contest.

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Krissyar

“This is a sponsored post with Lake Placid and Mums the Word Network. All opinions are my own.”

When you are a kid, there’s nothing like SNOW DAY! A surprise day off school, fresh white snow like a canvas waiting for you to paint your picture on it. When I am lucky enough to enjoy a snow day with the kiddos, we make sure to make snow angels, take a hike to see all the snow covering the trees, and of course go sledding.

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We’ve dreamed about a winter-fun-bucket-list; going somewhere full of snow (Ohio is a touch-and-go when it comes to the fluffy white stuff) to go tubing, ice skating, skiing and snowboarding. Who wouldn’t love the opportunity to enjoy the perfect snow day??

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Well Lake Placid is giving one lucky winner the opportunity to win one of your own with the Perfect Snow Day contest.

Here’s how to enter:

  1. Create a video in which you describe the menu of activities that comprise the invention of your own Perfect Snow Day in Lake Placid, adirondacks, usa.
  2. Post on YouTube. Title the video: “Hey Lake Placid, here’s my Perfect Snow Day!”
  3. Entrants should use the hashtag #PerfectSnowDayADK when sharing on social media.
  4. Organizers will select up to the top 10 entries, and those finalists’ videos will be aggregated on the contest landing page, lakeplacid.com/come-play.
  5. Voting will be promoted through Lake Placid’s webpages and social media channels. The finalists will be announced on Feb. 28, 2016.
  6. The entrant with the most votes accumulated at the end of the contest will win their Perfect Snow Day in Lake Placid represented in their video, plus 2 more perfect days to invent! (Prize includes lodging for 3 nights for 4 people and activities based on the winner’s video content/menu.)*

Dates: Finalists selected February 28, 2016, winner selected March 18, 2016.

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Car Hacks to Help You Survive Winter

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Krissyar

This year we’ve been pretty lucky – a very mild winter, a warm enough holiday for the kids to go outside and ride their new bikes or scooters they got for Christmas. But this week winter has decided to rear it’s ugly head. The one thing I despise about winter is the time it takes me in the morning to clear my car of snow and ice, and warm the car up. Not to mention you have to get up about a half hour earlier to deal with it!

So we found all kinds of great ideas to help you get on the road and start your commute (hopefully before everyone else so you can avoid all that traffic!)

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DIY Ice Melt. Use 3 part vinegar 1 part water in a spray bottle to spray your car windows every evening before a storm – this will help keep the ice from forming on them. (you can also spray it on ice after the fact if it’s a surprise storm – it will help melt the ice faster than just scraping!)

Get Your Car UNstuck. If your car is stuck in the snow you have a few options to get out pretty easily – always keep some cat litter handy (even keep some in your car) and pour nder the tires to help get traction. You can also use your cars floor mats, cardboard, old carpet remnants or of course salt.

Ziplock Your Side Mirrors. You don’t have to worry about your freezing side mirrors again – use a freezer size Ziploc bag and zip it around the mirrors so they stay ice free!!

Use Socks to Cover Your Wipers. Lift your windshield wipers and cover them with socks – this will help them from freezing, and  will be ready to use when you are ready to leave.

Have Your Car Serviced for the Winter.  During winter, you need an oil that can handle low temperatures and get to the engine parts on those cold mornings fast. In addition to the ‘winterized’ oil, they will also make sure to top off your other liquids such as your windshield wiper fluid, which will include de-icer.

Vicks Vapor Rub Your Locks. Put just a little vapor rub on the frozen locks to unfreeze them!

Fog Proof Your Windshield with Shaving Cream. Rubbing shaving cream on the inside of your window and then wiping them off will give you the same results as commercial defoggers – it leaves a layer on the window to keep the fog away.

Keep Your Door from Freezing with Cooking Spray. Spraying cooking spray in the cracks of your doors and on the rubber around your doors will prevent them from freezing shut. The water that melts during the day runs between the cracks and normally freezes but the cooking spray will keep the water from collecting and freezing your doors shut.

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Ham and Cheese Sliders

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Krissyar

I made these ham and cheese sliders as our main ‘appetizer’ for New Years Eve – and they were a big hit! I doubled this recipe, and we had plenty of leftovers to snack on the next day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

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Grease your baking dish (I recommend with butter)

In large bowl mix butter, Dijon, Worcestershire, poppy seeds and dried onion.
Put bottoms of rolls in baking dish (pack tight!) layer ham, then swiss over the ham, then another layer of ham. Put tops of rolls over the ham/cheese combo. Pour the mixture evenly over the dish.

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Bake in oven until rolls are slightly brown, and cheese is melted (about 20 minutes). Cut and serve!

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Hidden Gem: The Town of Wooster, Ohio

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Krissyar

So last week I told you about the amazing St. Paul Hotel that we stayed at during our trip to Wooster. Besides the amazing nights sleep, and relaxing shower, there was a ton of fun stuff that kept us busy during our stay (the shopping , oh the shopping – let’s just say I’m glad it was a pre-Christmas trip, so at least I had an excuse to spend so much money!) And the food – completely impressive restaurants and delicious foods, which is what I want to start with.

When we arrived, we started with lunch at Broken Rocks Cafe – they specialize in freshly baked artisan bread, and I was told the fish sandwich was to die for. I’d have to agree it was pretty delish, and was a great way to start our day of shopping and adventure in downtown Wooster!

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We were lucky enough to visit during a warm December day (that seems odd to say, but it was gorgeous) we walked around town and visited some great local shops, and though I picked up something at nearly every place, I’m already planning a weekend back with my husband for some more great food and shopping.
One of the cool places we went, that we don’t have in the Cincy area is the Local Roots Market & Cafe. Local Roots is a marketplace where you can conveniently shop an amazing array of products from over 100 local vendors/producers.

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You don’t have to wait for weekend vendor shows, or local community events to be able to purchase these great products – they are all there for you to buy, all day, every week!
IMG_0639They have some amazing gift products (jewelry, pottery, knitting, and even some really awesome handmade leather-bound journals) but other great products like homemade soaps, lotions, bath bombs and of course bakery items. They even have a café where they sell food all made with the local produce in the area. Everything made local, is also made with other local products, so its a win/win. (I really wish Cincy would follow in these footsteps!)

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Another great place we visited was Motts Oils & More . I never realized the different varieties of olive oils and vinegars that they were! A lot of the oils are imported from Italy, and since I’m still a bit of a newbie to using oils for bread dipping and cooking, I decided to get the garlic infused extra virgin olive oil and the Tuscan herb fused as well. (If you can’t make it to Wooster anytime soon, and want to try any of their varieties you can order them online now!)
IMG_0647Another one of our favorite places was The Faithful Little Cupcake – and yes, the name says it all. Delectable, tasty treats cupcake flavors to your hearts desire, and chocolate treats (sea salt caramels anyone?!)
faithful_cupcakes_CollageAnother favorite place (where my daughter talked me into a Christmas present!) was Lucky Records. They sell (and buy) new and used vinyl, and even retro turntables as well. I NEED a local store like this for my girls to hang out at..  I would always know where to find them!

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She loves her record player!!

A photo posted by Krissy Higgins (@krissyar) on

We seriously had to make a stop by at the hotel to drop off all our goodies, but not before we took a tour of the huge Everything Rubbermaid Flagship Store. The store is 4 floors and the largest selection of Rubbermaid products found anywhere!

If night life is what you crave, the JAFB Brewery is the place for you. JAFB is a family-friendly brewery and reminded me of a place that my grandparents and great-grandparents would of loved. BYOF (bring your own food) and many local beers on tap, and live entertainment – what more could you ask for??! The Chardon Polka Band knows how to have fun and I loved the community atmosphere you could feel through the place – a place to meet up with friends and family, without the normal ‘bar’ feel. Kids playing, families talking and enjoying snacks and brews – JAFB is a must stop during your Wooster trip!

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Another must is the City Square Steakhouse. In case you weren’t aware Wooster is home Certified Angus Beef, and City Square takes full advantage. The steak was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. My daughter said her spinach cheese ravioli was worth making the trip back for!

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This was just some of the awesome places to visit in Wooster – in fact, this was just day 1 ! Watch later this week for more fun places to shop (and of course eat) in Wooster Ohio!

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Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Krissyar

So you guys know I have been doing my best to cook at home versus pick-up dinner for my family. It’s healthier, better for my family, and they tell me it’s cheaper (though sometimes I wonder). Either way, I’m pretty much just good at making a few things – which can get old after awhile.. I have been a bit leery in the past trying new recipe; I can’t tell you how many meals didn’t ‘turn out’ and I ended up ordering pizza anyway.
But this weekend I got a good deal on boneless pork chops, so I figured I’d try something not too difficult and pray that it at least was well, edible.
I found this parmesan-crusted pork chop recipe on the Food Network website and it seemed simple enough so I decided to give it a try; drum roll please….

It was a win!!

Everyone, even my picky 7 year old, loved it, and I will be adding it to my ‘rotation’ since it went over so well. The only part I didn’t care for is I had to actually stay in the kitchen the entire time since you’re preparing it on the stove and not just throwing them in the oven.

INGREDIENTS:
4 large eggs
2 cups Italian style bread crumbs (or if you are like me and only have regular bread crumbs in your pantry, just add Italian seasoning to your plain bread crumbs)
1 1/2 freshly grated Parmesan cheese (you can use the other stuff, but I suggest fresh!)
8 – 10 center cut boneless pork chops
salt and pepper
olive oil

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Set aside 3 large bowls to make breading.
Whisk eggs in 1 bowl, put cheese in the second, and bread crumbs in the last.

Salt and pepper chops generously, then cover completely with parm cheese.
Secondly dip them in eggs then finally coat completely with bread crumbs.

IMG_0685Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add pork chops (I do about 4 or 5 at a time) and cook until gold brown and the center reaches about 150 degrees (which is about 5 to 6 minutes.

Serve with your favorite side and veggie. (My kids like rice and my husband prefers mashed potatoes!)

 

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